RSGB
December 22, 2017
This week we have a
slightly different approach to the HF propagation news. We want to help you and
your family contact Santa’s elves in Lapland. The station Oscar Juliet Nine
X-ray is on the air this Christmas from Santa Claus Land. Up to 30 elves are
operating OJ9X from Finland for the entire month of December to help celebrate
the centennial of the country’s foundation. To work OJ9X, the best starting
point is the DX Cluster or Reverse Beacon Network to see where they are
operating. They have been spotted on many bands and modes over the past two
weeks.
The HF predictions suggest 20 metres, 14MHz, gives a good
possibility of a contact, with a probability of greater than 80 percent during
the hours of daylight. There is also a 15-20 percent possibility of some
daylight openings on 17 metres, that’s 18MHz, especially around late morning.
Thirty metres, or 10MHz, should also give a high probability of a contact during
daylight, while 40 metres, or 7MHz, may be open for the whole 24 hours, with
late afternoon being the best time. Eighty metres, 3.5MHz, may also open to
Finland from late afternoon and through the night, while Top Band, or 1.8MHz,
may also be open to OJ9X during the hours of darkness in the UK.
NOAA is
predicting unsettled geomagnetic conditions at times over the next two weeks due
to coronal hole activity. This could bring noisy bands and depressed maximum
usable frequencies, so if you hear OJ9X try to work it while the band is
open.
VHF and up:
The
lead up to Christmas Day will be mild, with high-pressure weather and some
enhanced VHF tropo conditions. But from Boxing Day it’s all change to a colder
more unsettled weather type. This will be dominated by low pressure and periods
of rain, or snow in some northern areas. The only show in town from this weather
is usually rain scatter on the gigahertz bands. There is a possible return of
high pressure later next week, with possibly some tropo back in play for next
weekend and the lead-in to 2018.
These low pressure developments
are usually symptomatic of strong winter jet streams and these can produce some
mid-winter sporadic E, so don’t rule out a look at 28MHz or 50MHz for some
strong short-skip propagation, particularly using the digital modes.
Why not make trying a
new propagation mode your New Year’s Resolution? You could seek out rain
scatter, sporadic E, meteor scatter, tropo, or try CW and SSB on the VHF/UHF
bands. You’ll find plenty of support from these bulletins through the
year.
The Quadrantids meteor shower is usually active from the end of
December so look for better meteor scatter. It has a short peak around 3 and 4
January, so be ready for that.
EME path losses are still high,
but falling as the week progresses. Declination goes positive on Tuesday and
conditions will improve as the year turns.
